What Is Business Development? Business development is the process of growing an organization, fostering opportunities, and expanding revenue. For professionals, business development often means bringing in new business, developing relationships, uncovering needs and opportunities, communicating value, demonstrating impact, and expanding accounts. When it comes to business development for professional services, one of the biggest challenges professionals face is finding time to do it all. After all, you don't sell full-time. Your work, whether it's consulting, accounting, IT, financial services, or engineering, is what you do full-time. It can be very difficult to find time to create and nurture the relationships necessary to bring in new business.

How to Break Through the Noise and Create New Conversations with Prospects

Bob Croston
January 13, 2021

As a seller, you’re trying to build relationships with potential buyers. People buy from people they know, like, and trust. The more you get to know your buyers, and let them get to know you, the easier it is to sell to them. But first, you have to break through the noise, capture their attention, and create conversations with them. This is easier said than done. To do this, you need to engage in what we call an Attraction Campaign. An Attraction Campaign is a coordinated series of messages with strong value-based offers deployed across multiple channels that'll get you on your buyer’s radar and make that buyer more likely to want to start a conversation.

7 Keys to Turning Cold Prospects into New Clients

Bob Croston
November 11, 2015

We all love repeat business, referrals, and inbound warm leads. The problem is you can’t scale warm leads. When these run out, so does your ability to grow your revenue, unless, of course, you prospect and drive new leads in the pipeline yourself.

9 Appointment-Setting Tips for Top Sales Performers

Bob Croston
June 18, 2014

As a seller, one of your most difficult tasks will be breaking into new accounts and setting meetings. Most of us have some form of cold prospecting in our past, so we all know how lonely it can sometimes feel. But if you want to be successful in sales, you need to be able to build your own pipeline and drum up your own business.

How to Set Up the Best Sales Training

Bob Croston
January 29, 2014

I recently returned from an industry conference. The speakers were excellent and it was great to get away from my desk, connect with the attendees, and have the opportunity to step back and think big picture about what I need to be doing to drive success in my position. I returned with all sorts of notes, to-dos, and grand visions for change.

7 Tips for Maximizing Time and Deepening Relationships with Executives

Bob Croston
October 9, 2012

"It's impossible to get serious face time with senior executives." “Even getting 15 minutes with a senior executive can take 15 months.” I hear things like this all the time from professionals, sellers, and other business leaders who want to get more time with decision makers, but haven’t yet cracked the code.

A New Way of Thinking about Value Propositions

Bob Croston
April 29, 2011

Confused why your value prop doesn't work? You shouldn't be. “We build brands…” Back in the late 90's when I was a running a marketing firm, this was the beginning of our value proposition. We thought it was brilliant… until we started using it.

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